BILLERICA -- Rumors of a Fire Department sex scandal have swirled around town for months.

Residents have gossiped and speculated about it in coffee shops all along Boston Road.

On Wednesday, the investigation into an alleged "sexual misconduct" bombshell within the department was confirmed as three firefighters and a dispatcher were placed on paid administrative leave.

These four members of the Fire Department will be the subject of disciplinary hearings for alleged sexual misconduct while on duty in the central fire station. The firefighters are men. The dispatcher is a woman.

"The town takes this issue and these allegations very seriously, and it will not be tolerated," Town Manager John Curran said during an interview with The Sun in his office Wednesday morning.

CLOUDS OVER THE DEPARTMENT: Gray clouds hover over Billerica Fire Department headquarters on Good Street on Wednesday afternoon. Another cloud has enveloped the department now that four members are under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct while on duty. See video at lowellsun.com. sun/rick sobey

He later called a press conference in Town Hall after other media inundated his office with inquiries.

"Billerica is a great place to live and work, and I think that is still the case, and I think that we'll get through this issue as a town," Curran at during the press conference. "I do want the residents to know that this matter will be taken very seriously, and it will be addressed very seriously by the town."

Curran declined to discuss the details of the alleged sexual misconduct and the names of the employees, but said the town sent four notification letters to the employees Wednesday.

The employees could be fired for the alleged actions, the town manager said.

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There's no evidence that public-safety service or calls delivered to the station were compromised, Curran said. However, he said the town is implementing various corrective measures to ensure that the alleged activities do not occur in the future, including an operations assessment, reorganization, management training, sexual-harassment training and enacting a visitor policy.

"There is a great concern that alleged activities of certain employees within the Fire Department may compromise the town's ability to deliver the highest and best level of public safety service to the town and its residents," Curran said in a prepared statement.

The alleged sexual misconduct goes back to last summer, sources told The Sun. It involves one female dispatcher and multiple male firefighters in the main firehouse on Good Street, they confirmed.

A few of the individuals are married. One source said the investigation involves up to 12 employees.

"It's not good," a Fire Department employee told The Sun in February. "I don't think my wife would be happy."

Other notices of discipline will follow, Curran said. He wouldn't specify who, but said it could be more people involved in the alleged activities, perhaps those in management. Some could be punished for "being complicit," as opposed to actual participation in the alleged activities.

Fire Chief Tom Conway became aware of the alleged misconduct and alerted Curran in January.

"It was based on rumors and things of that nature. It started to gel into something more than rumors, and that's when he brought it over to my attention," Curran said.

The town's labor counsel, Feeley & Brown, launched an investigation and conducted numerous interviews; the labor counsel concluded the investigation at the end of last week, taking about three months.

"Everyone is trying to protect their marriage, so it's going nowhere," a source told The Sun in early March. "No one's telling the truth."

The disciplinary hearings will be held behind closed doors in Town Hall on April 24 and 26. Curran will be the hearing officer.

"I'll hear the charges brought forward by labor counsel, and hear the defenses by those employees involved," Curran said.

Selectmen Chairman Andrew Deslaurier declined to comment on Wednesday, writing in a text message, "I'd refer you to the town manager."

Selectman Ed Giroux also declined, saying that Curran is the one to speak on personnel matters.

But Selectman George Simolaris agreed to comment, saying he wants a "full investigation of the Fire Department."

"Not just because of this situation," Simolaris said. "It's good to have a full investigation of every department every 20 years or so to find out ways to improve it, and let all the employees air their grievances."

"Working with the chief, I have faith in his ability to work with me and the town to address this, and move forward in a positive direction," the town manager said.

The town manager's office will be implementing the following corrective actions:

* Sexual-harassment training: Although the town has provided sexual-harassment training in the past, the town will immediately retrain all Fire Department staff on preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. These training seminars will begin in May.

* Management training: The town has scheduled management training for this week that pertains directly to the misconduct issues and how they should be handled by command staff.

* Reorganization: Under the direction of Conway, the town will restructure the mid-level command staff of the Fire Department to ensure there is greater opportunity for broad-based management experience.

* Operations assessment: The facilities assessment study of the fire department approved by Town Meeting will also include a performance-management component. Specifically, it will include an operations assessment that will focus on management structure.

* Visitor policies enacted: The town has drafted a visitor policy that is effective immediately. Violators of this policy can be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

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